There are three ways to get to Placencia Belize – by plane, by car and by bus.
Placencia By Plane: This is the most recommended way to get to Placencia. There are several flights into Placencia throughout the day and they are well coordinated with international flight arrival times. We are an agent of both local airlines — Tropic Air and Maya Island Air — and our staff are happy to arrange the flight for you. The flight time is about 45 minutes; at times it makes a couple stops at different airstrips to pick up or drop off other passengers.
Placencia By Car: If you’d like to explore on your own, then you might want to rent a car. We also offer a private charter. There are several car rentals in Belize and our staff can arrange the car rental for you. Some Car Rental Companies offer cell phone and coolers, and most of them have their office at the Belize International Airport.
Placencia By Bus: This is probably the most undesirable way to get here. There are no express buses that run into Placencia. So you’d have to change buses at certain bus terminal. The bus can take up to 7 hours to reach Placencia.
Below are the driving direction from Belize International Airport to Placencia:
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From the Belize airport, turn left at the end of the Airport access road and you will drive for about 2 miles until you get to a round-about (it’s called Burrell Boom Village). You will again make a left turn going towards Hattieville Village. Before you get to your left side.
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Once you reach the Belmopan outskirts, you will turn left, and in about two miles, you’ll come to a roundabout (monument), go straight on to the Hummingbird Highway and follow the signs to Placencia.
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After about 48 miles on the Hummingbird Highway, turn right heading south on Southern Highway (towards Placencia and Punta Gorda) this is directly after the Shell Gas Station (good bathroom stop!).
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There are several very good signs along the highway. You are now on the Southern Highway.
- After going through the villages of Silk Grass and Kendall Bridge, you will eventually come to Maya Center Village. Keep going.
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About 4 miles past Maya Center, you will pass through the banana farm company village of Maya King.
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Thereafter see an overhead sign for Placencia, Here, please turn left and follow the paved road. After being on the paved road for about 7 miles, you will start a paved road.
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Please note that there is a sequence of villages along the peninsula – Maya Beach, Seine Bight, then Placencia.
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Driving after Seine Bight Village, Laru Beya is about 1 mile south. You will see our entrance which is painted in bright green… and welcome to PARADISE!!!
Useful information:
Speed Limits – you occasionally will see a speed limit sign in Belize, but there is little if any traffic law enforcement. Belize drivers, to be charitable, are not always the best in the world.
“Sleeping Policemen” – speed-breaker bumps are used to slow traffic coming into residential areas. In many cases, you’ll get no advance warning about the bumps, but expect them as you enter any town or village. On the paved Placencia Road, expect quite a few.
Bum Raps and Bad Cops – You will not be pulled over for phony traffic offenses, and if you are stopped at a checkpoint, which occasionally happens, no one will promote a bribe. Just answer the questions, show your license or passport and visitor entry card, and you’ll be on your way, with a friendly smile and wave from the police.
Safety – that’s not much of a problem. Do watch carefully when passing stopped buses — kids may suddenly dart around the bus to cross the road. Outside of settled areas, you may drive for an hour or more and never see another car. On a remote back road, yours may be the only vehicle all day. Be prepared: Bring water, a flash-light and other basic supplies, and maybe a cell phone, just in case. Don’t leave valuables in your car, locked or unlocked. In Belize City, it’s best to park in a secured lot, or at least in a well-lit area.
Driving at Night – driving at night is easier than elsewhere because there are so few people on the roads after dark. Jaguars and snakes, yes; people, no. Still, after dark it’s hard to see potholes and sleeping policemen.
